Comment from pome lover

Excellent

wow, Tom.
Have you ever faced a bear? I'm sure you're cool under pressure, but a bear! This WAS fiction, wasn't it?
ANyway, it made a good flash fiction story, and also left the reader wondering what happened next. I think your title was apt, all right!
Congrats on being recognized.
Katharine

 Comment Written 24-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 24-Jan-2023

Hello Katharine,
this story is fiction, but I could have written several different true stories regarding my encounters with bears. You, for some reason, think I would be cool under pressure. It's one thing to be able to write about a situation after it's passed and in the comfort of your home. It's quite another thing to be in a really stressful situation where you're not certain what to do. Of course with the plane accident, right until the minute when I saw the canal rushing up to meet us, I kept thinking the pilot was going to be able to start the engine and we'd pull out- WRONG! With the various bear encounters, I had a gun with me, except once, and then I didn't know it was there, but Jan watched it coming after me from the upstairs window. I'll write a true story about it sometime. I can promise you, in situations that are dangerous, regardless of how capable you might feel yourself to be, the absolute best thing you can do is talk to God- He will give you wisdom or arrange things in such a way that you'll be OK, and if for some reason He wants to call you home, I guess that's good too. Thanks so much for the great review gal. Have a blessed day.
Tom

reply by pome lover on 24-Jan-2023

Tom, I know I'm forgetting things, but the plane accident??? when was that? and if you already told me, I'm sorry but I don't remember. How horrifying, but thankfully you are still here!

reply by the author on 24-Jan-2023

I'll have to go back through the portfolio so you can read about it. It happened in February of 2000, and we landed in Lynn Canal, on a sand bar close to the beach. The pilot was great. The water took my breath away though, it was so cold. Fortunately it was salt water and didn't freeze. I'll check the portfolio and let you know which post it was.

reply by pome lover on 24-Jan-2023

I can go to your portfolio and find it - except I don't know the title?

reply by the author on 24-Jan-2023

Hi Katharine,
It was for a true story contest back in March of 2021. It only had three reviews so I don't know what the deal was. It might have been because not very many people were familiar with my work or I didn't promote it. I suppose I could run it again, but I'm not even sure how to do that or if I should. Anyway, it was titled - I survived, An Alaskan Story

reply by pome lover on 25-Jan-2023

I don't think Tom lets posts be repeated, though how he keeps up with them all, Idon't know. Thanks. I'll see if I can find it.

Comment from country ranch writer

Excellent

When faced with bear problems make as much noise as you can to distract and scare them away. Hope he or she don't charge. Playing dead won't help ifyou want to keep your head.
Saturday,1/14/2023.

 Comment Written 14-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 15-Jan-2023

Hello Country,
thanks for reading and reviewing this piece. I've lived in bear country since 1976, and I have to agree, it's a good idea to let them know you're in the area. When cubs are around though, the sows can get very aggressive. I don't know that there is much you can do in a situation like that except pray. Have a blessed day.
Tom

reply by country ranch writer on 15-Jan-2023

Thank you for your kind support .

Comment from Brett Matthew West

Excellent

What are you doing in bear country with no gun to defend yourself from being attacked by them? Volunteering to be a tasty morsel?

Hear cubs crying you know mama ain't far behind them.

Hand-counted one hundred words so meets that requirement of the contest.

 Comment Written 10-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 10-Jan-2023

Hi Brett,
Thanks for the great review and comments. Of course this is fiction. I wouldn't willingly go into bear country without a gun. The biggest thing I have is a .270 though. It packs a punch, and people who know more about guns and bears than I do say that it would get the job done, but I know that bears are exceptionally tough, and can travel pretty far even when they're mortally wounded. I've had a few encounters with them out hunting, but I've always tried to avoid them. Have a blessed evening.
Tom

Comment from Elizabeth Emerald

Excellent

Gripping! This resonates--my friend and I nearly came upon a pair of coyotes--fortunately, there was a stone wall between us! Same advice as to making noise.

 Comment Written 09-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 09-Jan-2023

Hi Liz,
It's great to hear from you gal. I tried to answer this, but I guess I messed up the response somehow. I had always heard that coyotes wouldn't hurt a person, but I saw a news clip of a little girl being dragged away by one while her dad was on the other side of the car unloading groceries. Unbelievable. Its not just people who are going off the deep end, it appears that nature is following suit. Blessings.
Tom

reply by Elizabeth Emerald on 10-Jan-2023

I saw that clip too--the coyote was rabid!

reply by the author on 10-Jan-2023

Oh my, I hadn't heard that. It makes sense though.

Comment from Bill Schott

Excellent

This one-hundred-word story, Well, This Isn't Good, has the proper word count and places you in a sink or swim situation with the added fun of being attacked by a bear. I can assume you were not drowned or ripped to pieces. Fun times.

 Comment Written 09-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 09-Jan-2023

Hello Bill,
Fortunately, this was a fiction story. I've been is situations where bears were present, and even had one stalking me, but fortunately I had a gun at the time. However, if the situation had required me to fire it, I'm not sure what would have happened. Thanks so much for the great review.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom

Comment from royowen

Excellent

I was a great three stooges fan when young, they were on television every night at 4: 45, I'd rush home to see their particular form of slapstick comedy every night. Well done with this entry in this flash fiction post Tom, well done, blessings Roy

 Comment Written 09-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 09-Jan-2023

Thanks so much for the great review and comments Roy. I never knew when the Three Stooges would come on. I think it was mainly on the weekend that they were on TV, and my dad liked to go on a Sunday drive almost every Sunday. When I got a chance to watch them I did though. Have a blessed evening.
Tom

reply by royowen on 09-Jan-2023

That was a great custom my dad did the same

Comment from Dolly'sPoems

Excellent

Oh my goodness, you managed to turn this dangerous situation into a comedy, but bears are no laughing matter and they can kill if they feel threatened. I am so glad we don't have them in England! Only in the zoo! A fine write Tom, love Dolly x

 Comment Written 08-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 08-Jan-2023

Hello Dolly,
Thanks so much for the kind review and comments. I'm not sure if you're familiar with Laurel and Hardy. When I was a kid they were on TV. Their movies or skits were from the thirties I believe. They were so funny. I wish sometimes that we could find humor available like that again. It was clean, family friendly, and everyone could laugh at them. Where I used to live, in Hoonah, it was reported that there was one brown bear(coastal grizzly) every two square miles. Many more bears than people lived on Chichagof Island. I knew three different people in town who were attacked. Two right in town, and one one while picking blueberries out on one of the muskegs a few miles from town. They can be pretty dangerous. Fortunately I didn't know anyone who died from an attack.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom

reply by Dolly'sPoems on 08-Jan-2023

Yes I know Laurel and Hardy and I was no a fan, but the innocent fun is addictive. I would be totally terrified if I was confronted by a bear and I am surprised they are allowed to breed to this extent and become a threat to humans. Love Dolly x

reply by the author on 09-Jan-2023

Oh my Dolly, I'm laughing as I write this response. I guess the feeling is that they were here before people were. Mankind has invaded their area. If for some reason the salmon run isn't good, or there are no berries, they will come into town to dig through garbage or will actually break into a shed to steal a deer carcass that is hanging. They are shot if they get too aggressive. Usually an attack happens because of being startled or a sow is protecting her cubs. There is a hunting season for brown bears, but the hunters aren't allowed to use motorized vehicles and the number taken is minimal. Many people would like to see an unlimited number harvested, but wildlife is protected here from unreasonable harvest. I know that the boars will kill the cubs in order to make the sow go into estrus so they can mate with them, and a number of cubs die of natural causes, but obviously, the conditions are right for them to thrive. I love the way you think Dolly. Blessings
Tom

Comment from Susan Newell

Exceptional

Tom,

Great entry for the contest! Bear country without a BIG gun? Yikes! I think the Laurel and Hardy self-conversation is exceptional. I could picture both them and the character. My husband used to run into bears and cubs frequently in the gigantic wilderness park (NH's largest) he managed. I even wrote a poem about the time he encountered triplets. Again, terrific job for the contest!

Sue

 Comment Written 08-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 08-Jan-2023

Hello Sue,
Thanks so much for the exceptional rating and the great comments. I didn't realize that your husband managed a park like that. I would think that would be a very interesting job. Did you end up with any wild animals at your home that were orphaned? I would think that you would have the material for a book. I wish I knew more about your area of the country. Thanks again gal.
Have a blessed day.
Tom

reply by Susan Newell on 08-Jan-2023

You are welcome. Gigantic here in New Hampshire was over 14,000 acres. The main entrance is five miles up the hill from is. There really wasn't any wildlife management and we had no orphans. I think Whip was more comfortable in their home than they would have been in ours. :-)

Comment from Pam Lonsdale

Excellent

When we were hiking out west, the park service rangers instructed us to carry bear spray and to make ourselves known to bears by occasionally calling out in a loud voice - especially when we were getting ready to round a corner.

This is a nice 100-word story, as you tell the reader what the set-up is, but allow them to finish the story. And I think you're right about Laurel and Hardy - only their hats would remain intact!

Good luck in the contest, Tom:-)

 Comment Written 08-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 08-Jan-2023

Hi Pam,
I think that the ranger was spot on. The best thing to do is to let the bears know you're there so that they can retreat. Sometimes though, they can't hear you, like if they are near a stream of running water. It's always a good idea to be prepared if you're in bear country. I've had a few encounters with bears, which fortunately ended well. I've never wanted to have to shoot one and would prefer that we both go our separate ways.
I loved watching Laurel and Hardy. Poor Stan, always getting the dirty end of the stick. They never failed to entertain.
Thanks so much for the delightful review and comments gal.
Have a blessed day.
Tom

Comment from aryr

Excellent

Good luck wishes regarding the contest entry, Tom. Definitely an interesting picture. When I read the first line, I suspected a Laurel and Hardy story, then as I read your narrative notes, I was right. Good grief! Very well done and greatly enjoyed. Blessings!

 Comment Written 08-Jan-2023

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reply by the author on 08-Jan-2023

Hello aryr,
thanks so much for the great review and comments. Those two were so much fun to watch. They only made a limited number of movies and I believe I watched them all more than a few times, but they always made me laugh. I wish that there were more clean acts like them again. Have a blessed day.
Tom

reply by aryr on 09-Jan-2023

You are most welcome, Tom, I agree they were fantastic.